Emotional tributes have been paid to three children who died in a horror car crash on Stonegate Road along with two men after a stolen car hit a tree.

A shrine of flowers, balloons, candles and messages has been growing at the site of the collision in north Leeds, which left a scene described by police as “complete carnage”.

A vigil was held opposite the tree late on Sunday night for the five people who died - named locally as brothers Ellis and Elliott Thornton, aged 12 and 15; Darnell Harte, 15, Anthoney Armour, 28, and Robbie Meerun, 24.

One message left at the scene said: “Elliot and Ellis. Two beautiful boys taken too soon. We will never forget you both and love you both forever and always sleep tight boys.”

Another said: “My boys who are now flying together. You wings are special in every way, forever in my heart.”

Some of those involved in the crash are understood to have gone to the nearby Carr Manor Community School.

The school posted a message on its website, which said: “We are aware of the tragic road accident in our local community and send our condolences and sympathies to the families and all those affected by this shocking and upsetting incident.

“Until the police confirm relevant details we are unable to comment further and we will continue to offer support and help to all our pupils who may be affected by this distressing event.

“We appreciate the respect for the community’s grief and privacy at this time.”

Investigators were back at the scene on Stonegate Road, in the Meanwood area of Leeds, on Monday morning.

They are trying to work out exactly how the stolen Renault Clio came to collide with the roadside tree on Saturday evening.

People living close by described a terrible scene of bodies laid in the road and a vehicle reduced to a crumpled mess of metal barely recognisable as a car.

One man who lives close to the crash site said: “It was unbelievable.

“You couldn’t even recognise it as a car. It was just a crumpled mess.”

His wife said: “There were bodies laid about, it was awful. It was as bad as that.”

She added: “We were just sat here and we just heard an almighty crash.

“We sat here and thought ‘what the heck was that?’.”

The woman, who did not want to be identified, said it was not possible to tell whether the dead and injured had been in the car or walking along the street at the time.

Another woman said her husband ran up the road and could not believe what little was left of the car.

She said: “It was just a lump of metal that was not recognisable as a car.”

All those who died were male, said officers, who confirmed two more 15-year-olds were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remain in custody.

One of these youths is understood to have been taken to hospital with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.